The present invention relates generally to fluid treatment systems such as water treatment systems, including water softeners, and more particularly to an electronic bypass system for a water softening system. It is recognized that many aspects of the present invention can be applied to other types of fluid treatment systems, such as filtering or de-ionizing systems.
Water softeners are well known in the art and typically include a raw water source, a treatment tank containing an ion exchange resin, a brine tank containing a brine solution, and a control valve for directing fluids between the source, the tanks and a drain or other output.
Water softening occurs by running water through the ion exchange resin, which replaces the calcium and magnesium cations in the water with sodium cations. As the ion exchange process continues, the resin eventually loses its capacity to soften water and must be replenished with sodium cations. The process by which the calcium and magnesium ions are removed, the capacity of the ion exchange resin to soften water is restored, and the sodium ions are replenished is known as regeneration.
During regeneration, brine, a concentrated or saturated salt solution, is passed through the ion exchange resin and the cations in the resin are replaced with sodium ions. Regeneration is a multi-step process incorporating a number of cycles, specifically, backwash, brine draw, rinse and refill cycles.
However, water softener owners sometimes need to use unsoftened or raw water for tasks such as washing cars or watering lawns, for example. To obtain raw water from current water softening systems, the user must go to the water softener and manually turn a bypass valve, which reconfigures the control valves so all incoming raw water is immediately redirected to a bypass outlet without being softened in the treatment tank.
One problem with conventional manual systems is that the user must physically go to the water softener to switch the softener from softening mode to bypass mode, which can be inconvenient. Further, to switch the softener to bypass mode, the user must manually turn a valve located on the water softener controller, which typically requires a significant amount of muscle/force to turn. If the user does not turn the valve properly, the flow path to the treatment tank may not be completely closed, reducing the flow rate of water out of the bypass outlet, and permitting some of the raw water to enter the treatment tank.
Additional problems can arise when the user has completed his intended use of bypassed water. Currently, the user must return to the water softener and manually turn the bypass valve back to the service position, inconveniently adding another step to the process. Also, if the user forgets to turn the bypass valve to the service position, the unit will remain in a bypassed configuration and the water supplied by the unit will continue to be raw or untreated.
Also, because of cost reasons, consumers often rent water softener systems. When a renter is behind on their monthly payments, the service provider/technician must gain access to the renter's home to permanently place the softener in bypass mode until payment is received. Such travel is time-consuming, an inconvenience to the service provider, and creates awkward situations at the renter's residence.